His first work of fiction, ‘Play with Me’, was published by Penguin in 2014.

Play With Me by Ananth Padmanabhan (cover art by Bhavi Mehta).

‘Play With Me’ follows Sid, a successful ad agency photographer who is single and has everything he wants – a great job, great colleagues and a hassle free life. But if there is one thing that has eluded him – love. Then the gorgeous, free-spirited Cara walks into his life. Sexually obsessed, the two begin a charged affair that disrupts all his notions of love and transforms the way Sid thinks about erotic pleasure. But then something strange happens – Sid falls in love with another woman.

“In conservative India, it’s always a good idea to push the envelope. But when someone decides to tear it up, it’s even better” – Brunch